Adjustable nonchattering relief valve



June l, 1954 M, H. KEMP 25679,858

ADJUSTABLE NONCHATTERING RELIEF VALVE Filed 0G12. l0, 1950 w18 I 31 fr@ 2 l wfz "}`1 41 1s JNVENTOR.

A 7- raA/Eyf Patented June 1, 1954 OFFICE ADJUSTABLE N ONCHATTERING RELIEF VALVE Manning H. Kemp, West Monroe, La. Application October 10, 1950, Serial No. 189,447

1 Claim. 1

'I'his invention relates to a relief valve for use in fluid pressure systems.

An object of this invention is to provide a relief Valve which is particularly adapted to obviate objectionable valve chatter and knocking due to the vibration or utter when the valve element leaves or approaches its seat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spring-biased relief valve which, upon installation in a pipe line, requires but one simple manual adjustment for varying the spring bias of the valve element.

A further object of this invention is to provide a relief valve which can loe installed in a pipe line with speed and facility and can be removed therefrom without breaking the pipe line.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a spring-biased relief valve which is relatively simple in structure, cheap to manufacture, and easy to service.

The above and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the relief valve of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modied form of the relief valve of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, there is shown the relief valve of the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral Ill which includes an open-ended valve body II having a chambered interior I2.

Dependingly carried from the lower open end cf the valve body I I is an exteriorly threaded extension I3 which is particularly adapted for securing the lower open end of the valve body to a source of fluid under pressure. Intermediate its ends, the valve body II is provided with a laterally projecting extension I4 which is in communication with the chambered interior I2 of the valve and is interiorly threaded, as indicated by the reference numeral I5 to particularly adapt the eX- tension Il for the reception of an outlet pipe.

Extending inwardly from the end of the valve body carrying the extension I3, there is provided a bore IE5 which terminates at a point contiguous to the laterally projecting outlet Ill and is in communication with the adjacent portions of the chambered interior I2. Contiguous to the terminating end of the bore I6, the bounding portions of the chambered interior I2 of the valve body I I are provided with a transversely disposed valve seat Il.

Slidably supported within the bore I6 is a hollow cylindrical valve element IS which has one end closed and provided with a laterally extending iiange It engageable with the seat Il in a select position of the sliding movement of the valve element I8.

Bridging the open end of the valve body I I remote from the threaded extension I3 is a bonnet or closure plug 2G which is eXteriorly threaded contiguous to one end, as indicated by the reference numeral 2l, to thereby particularly adapt the bonnet 2li for detachable securement to a threaded bore 22 of the valve body I I. The bonnet 20 is provided with a longitudinally extending threaded bore 23 which has its lowermost end in communication with the chambered interior I2 of the valve body I I.

Positioned in end-to-end, spaced relation with respect to the valve element I 8 is an adjusting screw 2Q which is supported longitudinally of the closure plug or bonnet 2@ within the threaded bore 23 for movement toward and away from the valve element I8.

Positioned within the chambered interior l2 of the Valve body l I is a resilient element 26 which has one end operatively connected to the valve element I8 and has the other end operatively connected to the adjacent end of the adjusting screw 24, the resilient element normally biasing the annular ange I9 of the valve element I8 into engagement with the valve seat Il. The resilient element 26 is operatively connected to the adjacent end of the adjusting screw 2d by means of the plate 2l which has one face provided with an extension 28 secured to the adjacent end of the adjusting screw 24 and has the other end provided with a depending lug 2Q receivable within the resilient element 26, the latter being illus-- trated as a coil spring. The connection of the coil spring 2S to the valve element I8 is effected by means of another lug Sil which is disposed in opposed spaced relation with respect to the lug 2S and fixedly secured to the adjacent face of the closed end of the valve element IE.

The valve element i8 is provided with suitable means for discharging a portion of the fluid ilowing inwardly through the inlet end thereof. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the means embodies a plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced, generally il-shaped escape ports, generally designated by the reference numeral 3i, provided in the valve element i8. Each of the ports has its apex contiguous to and spaced from the closed end of the valve element i8 and accordingly each provides progressively larger escape areas upon movement of the annular fiange l of the valve element i8 out of engagement with the valve seat il.

Positioned longitudinally within the chambered interior of the Valve body Il is a pair of spaced stop bars 34 and 35, each of which has one end detachably secured to the adjacent end or" the closure plug 20 and has the other end terminating at a point adjacent to and spaced from the adjacent end of the valve element i8. Accordingly, upon movement of the valve element I3 into a select position out of engagement with the valve seat il, the free ends of the stop rods 3d and 35 will engage the closed end of the valve element and preclude further movement of the valve element away from the valve seat.

Circumposed about the exteriorly projecting end of the adjusting screw 24 is a cover and lock 36 which is operatively connected to the adjusting screw and engageable with the closure plug for covering the exterioriy projecting end of the adjusting screw and for holding the latter in a select position of its movement with respect to the valve element. The cover and lock 3E has a hollow interior 3l adapted to receive the adjusting screw 2li, and is provided with a tapped portion 38 adapted to loosely iit on the adjusting screw 24. The loose nt of the tap portion 38 ci the cover 31 eliminates the necessity for an additional locking nut, since the desired spring setting will not be altered when the cover 36 is circumposed about the adjusting screw 2 and engaged against the adjacent end of the plug 2d. A suitable gasket 39 is provided between the abutting surfaces of the closure plug 2B and the cover and lock 3S, to form a huid-tight seal therebetween. The cover and lock 36 is provided with a removable cap B5, and the adjacent end of the adjusting element is slotted, as indicated by the numeral 55. Accordingly, upon removing cap 55, the pressure exerted by spring 2G can be manually adjusted without effecting the removal of the cover and lock 36.

Upon eiecting securement of the threaded extension I3 to an inlet pipe, an inwardly directed force will be applied to the valve body H in the area of the bore I6. This force often causes a binding between the periphery of the cylindrical valve element i8 and the bounding walls of the bore. To prevent this binding, a transversely disposed notch, generally designated by the reference numeral 4l, is provided in the areas subjected to the inwardly directed force. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the notch 4i is spaced inwardly of the threaded extension I3 and is semicylindrical in cross-section. Similarly, a second notch 42 is provided exteriorly of the valve body at a point adjacent to and spaced from the threaded extension i3, the notch 42 cooperating with the notch 4! to prevent the binding between the valve element i8 and the walls of the bore i5.

When in actual operation, the valve element i8 leaves the seat il due to the pressure exerted thereon from the inlet end of the valve body, and remains oi the seat in high frequency iluctuations for periods in which the inlet pressure is greater than the oppositely directed force due to the spring 26. When the valve element once again returns to its position in engagement with the valve seat Il, the inlet pressure is too low to cause any chattering of the valve. It is to be noted that the areas of the escape or discharge ports 3i are selected so that a greater area is exposed for the egress or fluid than the area of the inlet pipe, the optimum discharge area being reached at a point prior to engagement between the valve element and the stop rods 34 and 35. Accordingly, if necessary, a full-capacity flow can be reached if a suicient force is exerted upon the spring 26 due to the inlet pressure.

In Figure 3 there is shown a modied form of the relief valve oi the present invention in which the one-piece valve body il is replaced by a twopiece valve body 50, and the valve element I8 is replaced by a modied valve element 5l. The modified valve body embodies a first openended, T-shaped section 52, and a second openended, cylindrical section 53 disposed in endto-end relation with respect to the section 52 and detachably secured thereto. The securement of the sections 52 and 53 is effected by means of a threaded extension 54 formed on the adjacent end of the section 53, the extension being received within a threaded bore provided in the adjacent end of the section 52. An annealed copper gasket 55 is disposed intermediate the confronting end portions of the sections 52 and 53 to prevent binding between the sections when they are detachably secured together.

The body section 53 is provided with an interiorly threaded portion 56 which extends inwardly from one end thereof and terminates at a point adjacent to and spaced from the other end thereof, the threaded portion 55 particularly adapting the body section 53 for securement to an inlet pipe. The body section 53 is further provided with a longitudinally extending bore 5l which receives the modied valve element 5|.

The valve element 5l is in the form of a hollow cylinder having one end closed and provided with an annular flange 58 normally engaged on a seat 55 provided on the adjacent interior bounding portions of the body 50. The periphery of the valve element 5l is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures 5t for the discharge therethrough of iluid from the inlet connected end of the section 53 into the interior 6I of the body section 52. It is to be noted that the total area of the apertures 60 is equal to the area of the inlet end of the section 53 to insure a full capacity iiow for the relief valve when the valve element 5l is moved into a position wherein the entire area of the apertures Se is exposed.

In actual use, the tension provided by the spring 26 can be adjusted by selectively varying the position of the adjusting screw 2d with respect to the valve element 5l. Since this is the only adjustment necessary, it is apparent that the device can be operated with speed and facility.

Numerous other modifications of the relief valve of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A fluid pressure regulating valve construction comprising: A hollow valve body both ends of which are formed Open, one end providing an inlet and the body having an outlet intermediate its ends, the body having an interiorly disposed valve seat between the inlet and outlet thereof; a valve element slidably mounted within the inlet end of the body and proportioned to engage against said seat when slidably moved in one direction, said element unseating when moved in an opposite direction for passage of :duid between i 4, .A mi

the inlet and outlet; a closure plug detachabl'y mounted upon the other end of the body and having an end-to-end threaded bore; an adjusting element having external threads throughout its length and engaged threadably in the bore, for movement toward and away from the valve element, the adjusting element having its opposite ends respectively projecting interiorly and exteriorly of the valve body beyond the opposite ends of the closure plug; resilient means interposed between the interiorly projecting end of the adjusting element and the valve element and tensioned to normally urge the valve element against said seat, movement of the adjusting element to selected positions longitudinally of the closure plug being eiective to vary the tension oi the resilient element; a combined cover and lock for the adjusting element formed as a hollow cap proportioned to enclose the exteriorly projecting end of the adjusting element, said cap having a tapped portion at one end loosely engaged with the threads of the adjusting element, said cap being threadable upon the exteriorly projecting end of said adjusting element into engagement with the closure plug and constituting means ef- 25 fective to lock the adjusting element in selected positions to which it is threadably adjusted relative to the closure plug; a sealing gasket engaged between said cap and plug in the locking position of the cap to prevent leakage through the interengaging threads of the adjusting element and plug bore; and means at the other end of the cap providing access to the interior thereof, for effecting said movements of the adjusting element relative to the closure plug in the plug engaging position of the cap.

References Cited in the le 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 446,757 Kunkle Feb. 17, 1891 1,743,359 Hopkins Jan. 14, 1930 2,017,668 Meagher Oct. 15, 1935 2,209,856 Smith July 30, 1940 2,415,258 Parker et al. Feb. 4, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS y Number Country Date 18,568 Australia Mar. 4, 1929 

